


His Usual Routine

by AkisMusicBox



Category: Persona 3
Genre: Birthday, But shhh don't tell anyone, F/M, and the girl i kinda like is avoiding me, but oh dang now nobody knows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-25 11:35:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20723549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkisMusicBox/pseuds/AkisMusicBox
Summary: Akihiko was never one to made a big deal of his birthday until he realized nobody else was either. All he wants to do is take the team out to lunch, but when even the twins avoid him, he starts to wonder if there's anything worth celebrating at all.Part of theAutumn Princezine organized by noctilin!





	His Usual Routine

Akihiko considered himself fairly lucky to have his birthday land on a holiday. He had never made a big deal of it in the past - normally, Shinjiro just humored him as they bounced from restaurant to restaurant to eat until his heart was content, and then finish off the extended meal with a slice of cake. The cake was in memory Miki, as she would always insist on making one on his birthday. He stomached every saccharine bite. _At least with the day off, I'll have plenty of time to work up an appetite._

He used to take his time returning to the dorms after his run, but nowadays the dorm was full, and he was excited to see who else he could convince to join in his eating binge. _Maybe I should change things up if several people decide to come. We could all just go to one place and fill a big table._ He hadn't actually told anyone about his birthday, because he didn't want to make too big of a deal about it. 'Shinji will remember, and maybe Mitsuru. And I can usually find the twins around.'

His stomach flipped when he thought about running into Hamuko. He still felt conflicted when he thought about her fighting, and it filled him with anxiety to think about spending time alone with her again. However, the prospect of not spending his birthday with her also caused him distress. _If I can't find her, I can have Minato get ahold of her. The leaders wouldn't leave me hanging on my birthday, right?_

As he entered the dorm, he only found Ken, Koromaru, and Minato in the lounge. "Did you have a good run, senpai?" Ken asked.

"Yeah, it's good to get back to a routine," he said distantly. In the kitchen, he spotted an auburn ponytail bob and dart towards the stairs. "Hamuko!" he called. "Do you have a minute? Since both of the leaders are here."

Startled, she turned and plastered on a smile. "Sure!" Minato studied Akihiko carefully as Hamuko approached the couch.

"What's up?" she asked, fidgeting with the edge of her skirt.

"Well..." he started, suddenly self-conscious. "I want to try and wrangle as much of the team up as possible to go out to eat for lunch. Do you two know what everyone's up to?"

"Nope," Minato said, giving Hamuko a slightly amused look.

"No, no I don't! But uh, let me figure that out and I - uh, will get back to you! I'll text you. Wha-what time did you want to - uh, go?"

"One? If that works?"

Hamuko nodded. "Yeah, one! So, uh, why don't you just keep doing what you're doing! Or maybe go to the mall, see the sights, and we can meet back up here around noon. Sound good?"

"Al-alright? But I need a shower first."

"Riiiight, right, senpai!"

By the time he was showered and dressed, she and Ken were long gone. Koromaru yipped at him.

"Alright, I'll take you for a walk," Akihiko agreed, happy to have a distraction "Do you want to join, Arisato?"

"Nah, thanks," he said, making as little eye contact as possible.

They ran into Junpei at the strip mall on their walk, which proved distracting for an hour before he steered the conversation to his latest chat with Chidori. Akihiko had been meaning to caution his kohai about getting involved with that girl, but his mind kept drifting back to the way Hamuko was fidgeting with her skirt and he lost all resolve. _I don't think I'm the right person to be giving anyone advice about girls. _Akihiko made sure to tell him to be back to the dorms by noon. "Team lunch, my treat," he explained.

"R-right, senpai! Sounds great!"

Koromaru led him to the shrine, where Akihiko let the dog frolic as he tried to make a few calls. Shinjiro didn't pick up. Mitsuru seemed distracted but promised to meet him in time to join. Akihiko squeezed out of her a promise to pass the message to Yukari and Aigis. He felt guilty about making the calls, as Hamuko had already promised to do so, but the idea of calling her and checking to see who could make it caused his stomach to turn. The growing concern that he might be spending his birthday alone started to creep upon him. _This wouldn't have happened if I'd have just told her it was my birthday._ She'd make them all come if she knew, but that felt too close to pity for his liking. He suddenly lamented the culture festival's cancellation. _That would have been an easier way to get everyone together._

Akihiko tried to convince Koromaru to run back to the dorms, but the dog kept taking detours along the way. With some encouragement, he managed to get them back to the dorms by 11:50. Minato was the only one waiting for him in the lounge.

His heart sank.

"Where have you been?" Minato teased, stealing his typical greeting.

"Around. Just walking Koro." He scanned the lobby, hoping at the very least to see Shinjiro.

"Anyone else gonna make it for lunch?" Akihiko asked.

"Probably," Minato said, checking the clock. "They've still got a few minutes."

Akihiko sat on the couch. Koromaru whined, and Akihiko scratched his head, a little too roughly. Unable to sit still, he decided to go to the kitchen and grab a glass of water. Halfway there, Minato called out, "Hey! So...how's...school?"

Akihiko turned and gave him a questioning look. "Are you trying to make small talk?"

Minato mouth twitched. "Ye...yeah. School? Good? Boxing is...good?"

Akihiko heard a floorboard behind him squeak. "Great. I'm gonna get some water." He turned and thought he recognized Hamuko's shoe at the top of the first-floor landing. He pressed his lips together and changed course.

In an instant, Minato was in front of him. "You...can't go up there."

Akihiko's temper flared. "Why not?"

Minato exhaled. "Leader's...orders?"

"Co-leader," he clarified. "So I'm going to confirm that order myself." He sidestepped Minato and charged up the stairs, following the sounds of footsteps. When he reached the third floor, he heard a commotion emanating from the roof. Minato and Koromaru were hot on his heels, so he ran to the fourth floor and burst through the rooftop door.

"It seems that the jig is up," Aigis said as she saw Akihiko. Minato appeared behind him and sighed.

"Minato, you dolt!" Hamuko scolded, holding a paper banner loudly proclaiming 'Happy Birthday!' "You had one job!"

Minato shrugged as Koromaru started running laps around roof. It took Akihiko a moment to absorb the scene - the entire SEES team was present, blowing up balloons, putting berries on a cake, and filling cups full of punch. A long table was filled to the brim with various take-out meals and a few homemade dishes that Shinjiro was arranging on a platter. His apron was splattered with some sort of mystery sauce. "Ten more minutes, Aki. We just needed ten more minutes."

"Happy birthday!" Yukari called, with a smear of icing on her cheek. Junpei grabbed a party blower and honked it.

"We apologize for not being ready, Akihiko," Mitsuru said as she added ice to a cup. "Our timeline was severely compressed..." She gave a quick glance in Hamuko's direction.

"Well, it would have spoiled everything if he gorged himself at lunch and had no room for dinner!" she retorted.

Akihiko's heart leaped. "You all planned this? For me?"

"It was Hamuko's idea!" Ken chimed.

"After she pestered me incessantly with questions," Shinjiro grunted as he removed his apron.

Akihiko couldn't help but smile. "Well then, let's just skip the rest of the decorating and eat. I'm starving."

The team began putting away the unfinished pieces, and Akihiko went to Hamuko to help her fold the banner. His fingers were tingling when he said, "You didn't have to go to all of this trouble."

She gave him a small grin. "I wanted to." Her voice softened. "You've been really distant lately, so I thought maybe it'd help to see that you're not alone. We're all here for you." The smile reached her eyes. "I'm here for you, however you need me."

Her tone reminded him of when she said, _"Don't get the wrong idea, Senpai."_ It made him want to hug her.

He might have given into the impulse, too, if he hadn't caught Minato staring daggers at him. _Somehow, it's even more intimidating when you can only see one of his eyes._

Sanity restored, he said, "In that case, I'm going to need you to try each and every one of these dishes. And you'll have to eat a whole slice of cake afterward."

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Is this an eating challenge?"

He smirked. "What else would I ask for on my birthday?"

She rolled her shoulders and then balled a hand in a fist and punched her other palm. "I've been waiting for this!"

Akihiko laughed.


End file.
